In this article, ASCEPT’s 2024 award recipients—Nashwa Masnoon (Tony Smith Quality Use of Medicines Prize), Andrew Thorpe (Garth McQueen Prize), and Liz Johnstone (BPS/ASCEPT Outstanding New Investigator Prize)—reflect on their experiences at Science Meets Parliament (SMP) 2025.
SMP is a unique event that brings together scientists and policymakers, providing an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions about the role of science in shaping public policy. This year, our awardees had the chance to participate in workshops, hear from influential leaders in the sector, and meet with members of Parliament to advocate for scientific research and its impact on society.
Read on to learn about their key takeaways, insights, and how their participation at SMP 2025 has influenced their perspectives on science communication and policy engagement.
Liz Johnstone – BPS/ASCEPT Outstanding New Investigator Prize winner 2024
Science Meets Parliament is an incredible meeting that aims to engage scientists with politicians and parliamentary processes. I have had the privilege of attending SMP once before, however as it was during the pandemic, it was held online. This time, I was able to travel to Canberra, visit Parliament House and meet with politicians and policy makers in person, making it a much more engaging experience!
A major focus of the meeting is to inform scientists about how to influence policy and advocate for causes, as well as how to communicate science to a variety of audiences. I was able to put these learnings into practice when I had the opportunity of meeting with Ruth Webber, Adviser to WA Senator Glen Sterle. She was enthusiastic about my research and was eager to understand the challenges we face as scientists.
Throughout Science Meets Parliament, we also got to hear from leaders in the sector who emphasised their understanding of the many issues we face as scientists in Australia. Former Labor Leader, Bill Shorten, spoke about how he hopes he can aid in improving the University Sector in his new role as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra. During the National Press Club Address, the Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, discussed the need to diversify our economy by better supporting Science R&D. Quoting the Chair of the Review of Australia’s R&D system, Robyn Denholm, he said “Australia’s R&D slump is a national emergency”. He acknowledged the loss of much of our innovation to other countries: “Our science leads the world, but we are giving it away virtually for free”.
Other highlights included the closing session on the first day, with National Indigenous Affairs Editor at NITV, John Paul Janke, sharing stories about the first scientists of Australia and their understandings of science and nature. The final session of the meeting, with Australian Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg, in conversation with Nobel Laureate, Prof Brian Schmidt AC, left me in awe of Katherine’s multitude of achievements.
Science Meets Parliament is a fantastic event, and I am enormously grateful to ASCEPT for the opportunity to attend!
Andie Thorpe – Garth McQueen Prize winner 2024
Science Meets Parliament 2025 is an engaging two-day event that brought together scientists and policymakers to learn and share with each other. Getting the chance to attend as a PHD student was an amazing experience providing me with valuable insights into science policy and getting to share my research with those involved in the policy-making process.
We attended 15 sessions and gained invaluable wisdom shared by the over 50 highly impressive speakers. A common theme shared amongst the workshops was the need to educate and raise scientific literacy in both parliament and the wider public. Zeneta Mascarenhas MP reminded us that “we live in a society now where truth is debated [and therefore,] we need scientists at the forefront of decision making” – a powerful and encouraging message.
As an avid watcher of the National Press Club, with my normal viewing spot being livestreamed from the lab, it was an absolute treat to get to attend the Press Club in person! I had the opportunity to meet Minister Ed Husic and his team before and after the address who emphasised how they are acutely interested in supporting the researchers of Australia even at a PHD level. For an example of how embarrassingly proud parents push the national agenda of science, feel free to watch the beginning 3 minutes of Minister Husic’s Press Club Address.
We were treated to an amazing gala dinner at the National Museum where we had the chance to hear from newly appointed Australian Chief Scientist Tony Haymett who encouraged us that “Science and Parliament, two opportunities to make our society a better place”. It was fabulous to get to hear about the fantastic research happening all around the country under the wonderful sights of the museum.
One of the most rewarding parts of the event was getting the opportunity to engage directly with parliamentarians. I had the opportunity to meet with Tracey Roberts MP and share my research on how third hand e-cigarette exposure is a growing health hazard for both e-cigarette and non-e-cigarette users. It was re-assuring to see how engaged she was with health-related issues including e-cigarettes. We were then treated to a behind the scenes tour of parliament house, before getting to sit in on the Senate Question Time. It was an eye-opening experience getting to see how and where the workings of government occur.
Outside of the policy discussions and workshops, I had the chance to connect with so many amazing researchers from all over the country. Learning about the wide range of scientific fields they’re working in was truly inspiring, and it reminded me how interconnected our research is with the world at large. It also highlighted how crucial collaboration is in making a real impact and driving meaningful change.
Overall, Science meets Parliament 2025 was an amazing experience and it was a joy getting to be accompanied by Nashwa, Liz and Bridin and learn more about the excellent research happening within ASCEPT. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to ASCEPT for the incredible opportunity to attend Science Meets Parliament 2025, which has provided me with an unforgettable experience that will be a key moment for my research career.
Nashwa Masnoon – Tony Smith Quality Use of Medicines Prize winner 2024
Science Meetings Parliament was an incredible opportunity which brought together STEM researchers with parliamentarians and policy makers. A major focus of the conference was how passionate scientists can effectively communicate their research with parliamentarians. This involves making scientific research relatable, by clearly outlining the ‘What, Why and How’. Whilst this may seem intuitive, engaging with other conference attendees reinforced the importance of simplifying complex ideas and thinking more broadly when communicating with other scientists, parliamentarians and policy makers.
The challenges of securing research funding was openly acknowledged. As attendees, we were encouraged to present novel scientific ideas to parliamentarians, provided the vision and end goal were clear. This perspective was both refreshing and empowering as an early career researcher.
A particularly valuable aspect of this conference was communicating science through storytelling on Day 1. I found the session on indigenous knowledge and storytelling really eye opening, including the idea that meaningful changes often begin through ‘Dining Table Stories’. Another highlight was the ‘Day in the Life of a Politician’ session. The gala dinner was also a fantastic networking opportunity where I met a computer scientist, research infrastructure manager and pharmaceutical company lead, all in one night!
The biggest highlight was meeting Dr Anne Webster on Day 2 during the ‘Meet the Parliamentarian’ session. I described my research on deprescribing inappropriate polypharmacy in older inpatients and Dr Webster had excellent insights on involving different stakeholders to make my research more impactful.
I truly appreciated this opportunity to develop a new skill – communicating science effectively with parliamentarians! Thank you very much ASCEPT for the fantastic opportunity.
